A Little Help From Family
by MickeyTaco
Summary: This is an AU set following the events of The True Queen (AoT fanfic that I co-write with Crod42), a what-if scenario of what might have transpired should spoiler from The True Queen have gone differently. This an AU one-shot, or drabble if you will, featuring the Reiss siblings. Special thanks to Crod42 for use of his OC, Dillon Amsdale as well. Enjoy!


Life has a way of falling into pattern and routine after chaos reigns and has its completion. Even still, quiet in a household, especially the Reiss household, was unheard of. Yet it was in this sort of attitude that Urklyn pulled aside two of his youngest siblings aside following breakfast one crisp fall morning.

"This is a bad idea," Florian muttered under her breath. "This is such a bad idea. Why are we doing this again?"

"Because we were asked to?" Dirk piped up with a smirk. "Because it's fun. It'll be an adventure!"

"She's going to wring our necks when she finds out," the baby of the Reiss family pointed out.  
"Maybe. Odds are, she's going to be too distracted to even notice us, or care," Urklyn spoke again, shaking his head. "Frieda's already aware, and she's already playing her part. I'll be talking to Historia about it when I can pry her away from her girlfriend."

Dirk snorted. "Good luck with that."

Urklyn shot him a dark look. "I'm sure I can handle it appropriately."

He looked away, chagrined. "Wasn't trying to doubt you."

"Thanks. Can I count on you to help and keep this quiet?" He asked, his tone serious as he looked between his siblings.

Florian sighed. "Long as you promise we're not going to be in trouble. I really don't want anyone mad at me again."

"You have my word, as well as _his,_" Urklyn emphasized.

"I'm in, but you knew that." Dirk grinned at his elder brother. "Whatever needs to happen, I'm down for it."

Urklyn gave a short nod. "Very good. I'm going to talk to Historia now. If you've got questions in the meantime, you can talk to Frieda." He turned on his heel and headed up the stairs.  
Florian watched him go. "Are we sure that they're ready for this? I mean, I like him and all, but it's a little hard to wrap my head around."  
"Trust me, he's got a good head on his shoulders. He wouldn't be doing this now if he wasn't sure about her answer." Dirk's grin was akin to the cat that swallowed the canary. "Besides, this means I'll be getting another brother to torment."

His baby sister punched him in the shoulder. "You would be excited about that, wouldn't you?"

A shit-eating grin was the only response she got from him as the pair walked to the barn where a carriage sat waiting for them.

Urklyn sighed as he heard the telltale sounds of lovemaking coming from the blonde's bedroom. He knocked twice on the door, calling out, "You've got two minutes to get yourself decent before I'm coming in."

Curses, followed by hurried thuds and whispers slipped through the closed door. He rolled his eyes as he heard the words "bastard" and "brother" paired together. He wasn't particularly fond of the brunette who had laid claim to his half-sister, but he did his best to avoid conflict with her when possible.

The door was yanked open, and said brunette glared up at him, clad in only a shirt and panties. "There better be a damn good reason you're interrupting us."

"Besides you missing breakfast?" he supplied, accustomed to her lack of shame. "There is. Where's Historia?"

"I'm here." The blonde peeked around Ymir's back, tightening her bathrobe around her waist. "What is it?"  
"You're both being summoned to help with a project today, if you'll participate," Urklyn said cryptically.

Ymir glanced at Historia, who shrugged. "You got our attention. What's going on?"

"Call it more of a favor, if you will." He said, slipping past them into the room and shutting the door behind him. "Here's the specifics..."

* * *

The hot steaming waters of the bathhouses were always a favorite to the nobles. Public bathhouses were popular with everyone, but the private ones were much preferred for those who valued their privacy, especially when it came to royalty. The soft bubbling sounds of the bathhouse at the palace covered the sounds of the two young women chatting as they enjoyed each other's company.

"Not that I'm complaining about spending time relaxing, but don't you have more important things to do than spend half the day with your younger sister?" Abel raised a questioning eyebrow to her sister.

Frieda chuckled. "Perhaps, but you forget that after the Titan issue was resolved for good, I found out who was loyal to me. I have trustworthy people in place to keep things running smoothly, even when I take a well-deserved break. Besides," her hand slowly circled the noticeable swell of her abdomen, "Eld told me that I needed to get some rest while I could. He's worried I'm doing too much."

Abel rolled her eyes. "He's mothering you, and you love it. Admit it."

The queen of the Eldians splashed warm water at her sister. "Quiet, you. He loves me and is taking care of me. Much like a certain boyfriend of yours."

The younger girl blushed. "We're not talking about that," she protested.

"Really now? How long have you and Dillon been together at this point?" Frieda feigned ignorance.

"Just around three years," Abel replied, swirling her fingers in the steaming water of the baths. "What's your point?"

"Merely that you've been together longer than Eld and I have… I expect you've given consideration to what the future might hold for the two of you," Frieda prodded.

"A little. We're pretty content though. He loves me, and I love him. I see him nearly every day." The blush on her cheeks intensified. "We had a rocky patch after he got caught in that fire at the forge... I think he's still self-conscious about the scarring it left. But I'm not going to leave him. I love him too much. If we can get through all that we did together, we can make it work through anything." Abel sank lower in the water, giving a sigh as she did so. "I hope he feels the same way. He's not the most open when it comes to these things."

Frieda gave an unladylike snort. "He's a guy. Most would prefer to suffer an injury than discuss how they feel at any given time. I had to sit Eld down on his ass after we started… being intimate, and demand to know what his plans were long-term. I think he was honestly slightly intimidated. Only time I saw him looking more nervous was when we spoke our marriage vows."

Abel giggled, imagining the scenario. "Dillon tried to break up with me when he was grieving the loss of his parents and struggling to recover. I proved that I'm the more stubborn. I won't let him go." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I can't let him go. I love him too much."

Frieda eased herself onto a lower stair in the water. "Then don't let him go," she said simply. "If you love him, choose to love him no matter what. The rest will fall into place when it's supposed to. The Goddess always smiles on young lovers. If she didn't, I wouldn't be here, and we wouldn't be a couple months away from seeing my child's face."

The younger brunette glanced at her sister. "I'm glad you're still with us. I don't think I could have handled losing a sister, especially not you.'  
Tears sprung to Frieda's eyes. "Damn you, Abel! You know I cry with hardly any prompting. Stop saying things like you care about me."

Abel snorted. "Well, get used to it. Despite our differences, I'm thankful you're here. I can't wait to meet my little niece."

"It could be a nephew, you know," Frieda countered. "We won't know until the baby arrives."

"I'm sticking with my prediction," Abel replied stubbornly. "It'll be a girl. And as she grows, I'll teach her to be a proper tomboy."

"Watch, when you have children, they'll all be boys, and you'll be coming to me, bemoaning that you don't have a girl." A wide grin crossed the queen's face. "Speaking of…"

"Don't go there. I want to have a chance to be his wife before I carry his baby," Abel cut her off. "Someday, sure, I'd be glad to have his child. But I'm only 19! I've got time."

That seemed to satisfy Frieda because with the next sentence, she changed the subject. "So, did I tell you about the trouble that Dirk got into the other night?"

Abel took the bait, pushing herself back up out of the water again. "You didn't! Tell me! Was it trouble with a girl?"

"Well, it all started mid-afternoon…" Frieda began, lightly running her fingers through her damp locks of hair.

* * *

Dillon paced across the room, too restless to stand still. "You're sure that the girls got her on her way here?" he asked for the third time.

Dirk stood and flicked him in the forehead. "Snap out of it! You're making me stressed watching you pacing like that. Trust me. Historia knows how to make a suggestion without Abel giving it a second thought."

The blacksmith nodded, swallowing hard. "Sorry. Just a little nervous."

Florian's head poked around the corner of the kitchen. "That's why you have us to help you, right?"

"Right. We're going to make ourselves scarce when it's time though. You got this," Urklyn clapped a hand on his shoulders. "What can we do right now?"

Dillon rubbed his hands over his scarred face. "Umm, picnic dinner, horses, saddlebags… lack of distractions." He patted his pockets. "I've got the ring." His hands shook as he looked at the man who was to become his older brother. "Is it normal to be this nervous?"

"If Eld was any indication, yes," Urklyn assured him. "I haven't found the right girl yet, but I'm sure I'll be in your shoes eventually."

Dirk came behind him and reached up to rub his shoulders. "Relax, Dillon. Abel is head over heels for you. There's only one answer from her, and you know that."

The blacksmith gulped, sinking into one of the armchairs. "I know. I just… She's not getting any family by choosing me. It's only me." His gaze settled on his lap. He'd lost three fingers in the fire, as well as his right leg being replaced with a prosthetic. Burn scars covered a good portion of his chest wrapping around to his back, trailing up over the right side of his head and face.

Florian came out of the kitchen, drying her hands on the front of her dress. She knelt in front of Dillon, clutching his fingers in her smaller ones. "Dillon. You're lucky to be alive. Don't for one second think that Abel is going to be anything less than thrilled that you're choosing to spend your future with her. She loves you, and you're all she wants. Heck, I speak for all of us when I say that you're family." Her eyes met that of her brothers, who both nodded in agreement. "Please, don't stress over it. Just enjoy the picnic you're going on with her, and be yourself. That's all that matters in the end."

Emotion threatened to choke him up but he nodded. "Thank you… all of you. You're bending over backwards, changing your plans, everything to help me. I can't express enough what it means to me."

Dirk smirked. "We'll remind you of that when you're going to choose your best man and groomsmen."

Dillon chuckled in spite of himself. "You're both going to be standing up with me… Eld too. Unless Urklyn is going to be the one giving her away."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Urklyn said. "That will probably be up to you and her."

Florian nodded, patting the back of his hand. "It'll be okay. You'll see."

The sound of carriage wheels outside the farmstead interrupted Dillon's response. Florian shot to her feet and disappeared up the stairs. Dirk and Urklyn exchanged glances, silently gesturing their intended direction, then vanished together out of sight as well, leaving Dillon alone in the sitting room of the small house. He shook his head to clear the nerves, hurrying into the kitchen. The basket Florian had been preparing was closed and sitting on the counter. A quick peek inside showed him all he needed to see, and he put the handle over his arm. The door to the house opened, and his heart skipped a beat when he heard Abel's laughter.

"Really, Ymir? I had no idea that Historia was so shameless," Abel snickered.

"That was ONE time," Historia protested. "How was I supposed to know that she'd never let me live it down?"

"That's my girl for you," Ymir quipped.  
Dillon rounded the corner, silently drinking in the sight of his beloved. She looked happy, relaxed, and completely content with life. He could never get enough of her smile.

Abel felt eyes on her, and looked up, giving a short gasp. "Dillon! I thought you were working today."

"Surprise, love. I took the afternoon off so I could come visit you. Thanks for the help, ladies." He offered her an elbow. "Care to go on a ride and a picnic with me?"

"Who am I to refuse an offer from the man I love?" She flashed him a smile.

"Have fun!" Ymir singsonged. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Historia punched her in the arm, earning a sheepish grin from the brunette. "Just let them be romantic. You could take some lessons from him."

"Ouch, that was harsh. Why do you gotta be mean like that? I can be romantic," Ymir acted hurt. "Why don't I show you just how _romantic_ I can be?" She seductively waggled her eyebrows at her blonde girlfriend.

Rolling his eyes, Dillon guided Abel outside where two mares waited in the late afternoon sun. "I've got a couple horses ready. I just need to tuck our dinner into the saddlebags and we'll be good to go."

His girlfriend glanced down at her slim black pants and loose beige blouse and grinned. "I'm glad that Frieda helped me pick clothes that were pretty and functional after our time in the baths. I hate trying to ride in a skirt."

"I remember. The only time I ever took you riding while you wore a dress, you cursed and complained the ENTIRE time," Dillon shook his head, easing the basket into an empty saddlebag on the brown mare . "Not an experience I care to repeat."

"It wasn't that bad," Abel argued. "If I remember, you helped me tie up my skirt for the ride back."

"Out of sheer necessity. My ears couldn't tolerate much more."

Abel stuck out her tongue at him. Dillon chuckled, pulling her close and pressing his forehead against hers. "I love you, Abel, but patience isn't your virtue. Never has been."

"Damn straight, it's not," she snickered. She leaned in and gave him a kiss that left them both breathless. "Tell me you're planning some _alone time_ after our picnic. I missed you today."

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I hadn't already factored that in?" he pointed out. "Ymir and Historia are supposed to go back to the main house tonight, so it'll just be us out here."

"Good. The walls are thin enough that I really don't want to be listening to them going at it until all hours of the night." Abel made a face.

"Watch what you say. They could say the same thing about us too, you know," Dillon chided. He gave her a boost up onto the black mare, making sure she was settled before he pulled himself up on the brown mare. It took an extra minute to get his prosthetic foot securely in the stirrup, but Abel didn't mind. A soft sigh left her mouth as she watched him get settled in. Her mind wandered back to the conversation with Frieda that morning. She really did love him, more than she could possibly put into words.

Dillon's brown eyes met her gaze after a long minute of struggling with the stirrup. "Is everything okay?" he asked, unable to read her expression.

She nodded. "Yes. Just lucky I've got such a romantic boyfriend that'll take an afternoon off just to spend time with me. Wait. I didn't miss our anniversary, did I?" Panic crept into her tone when the thought struck her.

"No, no! You didn't forget it. T-this was just an excuse to spend time with you," he stammered, a blush creeping over his cheeks.

Abel breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I was going to feel really bad if I had forgotten."

"You know I wouldn't have held it against you." He nudged his mare into motion, guiding them through the orchards. "Even if you had forgotten, it's not the end of the world. What matters is that we're together."

"I'm glad that we are, too," she said. Her voice was barely audible over the sound of the horses' hooves and the soft breeze rustling the trees.

The couple rode in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the pleasant fall atmosphere and each other's company. Dillon fought to swallow down his nerves as he neared where he planned to stop. Dirk and Urklyn were supposed to have gone ahead and set things up. He silently breathed a sigh of relief when the clearing came into sight.

"Dillon? What's all this?" Abel asked slowly. It wasn't normal to see a small campfire near the base of a tree with nobody around to tend it, nor was it typical to see the blanket spread out just out of reach of the embers.

"Surprise," he repeated for the second time that day. "I said I wanted to take you out for a picnic. I hope this is okay."

"Slightly cheesy, but definitely romantic," she commented, slipping off her mare.

"Take a seat. I'm going to tie up the horses and grab the picnic," he said, slowly dismounting. He took her reins with his and led the horses a short distance away.

Abel cautiously neared the campfire. It was clear that someone had been tending it, and it hadn't been burning for very long. Her keen eyes swept over the area, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Something was up, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. A thought of what it could be nagged at the back of her mind, but she ignored it. "Don't be stupid, Abel," she whispered to herself. "It's just a coincidence."

Dillon forced his breathing to be normal, grabbing the picnic basket from the saddlebag, along with a flask of water. He approached the blanket where his girlfriend sat, and eased himself down onto it carefully, still giving a slight wince as he set the basket aside.

"Is it your leg bothering you again?" Abel asked with concern.

"Just a little. It rubs the prosthetic when I ride, and makes it ache," he admitted. "It's not the end of the world though. I've got a bit of ointment to help with the pain when we get back to the house."

She reached over and touched the side of his face, turning his chin to look him in the eye. "If it causes you pain, you shouldn't do it in the future. Please, Dillon. You need to take care of yourself."

"Seeing your smile and excitement more than makes up for my slight aches and pains," he argued. "It's worth it to me. Let me do this for you." The intensity in his gaze seemed to deepen in the flickering light of the fire.

Abel swallowed, her protests leaving her mind the longer she stared at him. "I-if you're sure," she whispered.

"I'm sure." Acting on impulse, he closed the small distance between them. "I've never been more sure of anything." His fingers fumbled in his pants pocket.

The movement caught Abel's eye, and she gave a soft gasp. "Dillon, what-"  
His left hand pressed a finger against her lips, then dropped. The question died on her tongue when his fingers lifted a diamond ring to eye level. "I love you, Abel Reiss. Be my wife. Will… will you marry me?"

Abel stared into her lover's eyes. This was Dillon. He'd been through hell and back again at the hands of a psycho. His recovery had been long, but she'd been there every step of the way. He was so much more than the scarred man the world saw. This was the man she loved more than life itself. "Yes. YES!" Her arms flew around his neck, and she kissed him tenderly.

Dillon's fist closed around the ring and he returned the kiss, pulling her into a tight hug as she whispered soft words of love in his ear. The other siblings had been right. There was no reason to be nervous. His eyes caught slight movement from behind one of the trees at the edge of the clearing, and he mouthed a silent "thank you" to the young men standing and watching in the low light. He was forever going to be Abel's but he was gaining siblings, just like he had always wanted. And he was grateful for that.

Abel pulled back and cocked her head, looking at him. "What is it?"

"Just thankful that you've got such wonderful siblings." he smiled.

Her eyes narrowed, and then she grinned. "They were all in on it, weren't they?"

"Every single one," he confirmed. "Frieda kept you busy this morning while Urklyn got the others on board. Then Historia, and Ymir, had to figure out how to get you out to the homestead. Dirk and Urklyn helped set everything up out here, and Florian prepared the food… which I think we'll probably end up eating later," he said sheepishly. His fingers pulled her left hand over, shaking slightly as he slid the diamond into place on her ring finger.

Abel sighed, and leaned her head gently against his chest. She lifted her hand, gazing at the polished rock that sparkled in the low light of the fire. "I wouldn't have had it any other way. After all that has happened, what matters most is family, whether it's by blood or the ones we make for ourselves."

Dillon silently agreed. He had the woman he loved, and now siblings that cared about him too. Although life was certainly not easy, he wasn't alone, and he never would have to be again.


End file.
